Eight MSU students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program are on the track to finding that fame as they prepare for a showcase that they will perform for agents in New York.
On Monday night, the students did a local performance of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Senior Showcase in the Auditorium.
The showcase included scenes, songs and a monologue. Scenes ranged from dramatic arguments and breakups to intimate love scenes. The performances had the audience gasping from both shock and laughter.
“We are going to represent Michigan State students in New York, and this show gives you an idea of what’s going to happen,” Deric McNish, director of the program and an assistant professor of theatre, said in an email.
The showcase in New York, which is supposed to help students with getting signed, will take place on March 5.
Many of the eight seniors going to New York City are dedicated to their profession.
“The song I sang I had been practicing my whole life and I sang it in high school,” theatre senior Brittany Ann Nicol said. “It takes a lot of willpower, a lot of discipline, and a lot of hard work.”
To be a part of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, students have to audition, theatre senior Nathan Turland said. Once accepted, students are continuously given guidance.
“It’s a very rigorous program that doesn’t just allow you to focus, it pushes you,” Turland said.
Turland is part of the program along with his classmates. However, he did not perform on Monday as he is set to go to Los Angeles for his showcase.
This was Turland’s first showcase he’s seen, and he said it was great to see all the hard work put into the performance.
“The transitions were beautiful,” Turland said.
Theatre senior Julia Kathryn Hays said students plan on maximizing their time in New York by going on backstage tours and visiting operas.
Theatre senior Natalie Manz said the experience has prepared her for the future.
“Working on the project was helpful, because I am being shaped by my own peers. ... Our acting abilities grow while we watch each other’s work,” Manz said.
